Can the Huskers really regain a top status in college football?

[Day by Day]

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

Utah. Yes, but they have a culture of physical football. It took them 3-4 short years to figure it out moving from MWC to Pac12 and they are ranked #5.

 

The environment at a Utah game looks much more enticing than a game at NU, why? The fans are right on top of the players. They are loud, they aren't 70+ years old.

 

I know most people aren't going to agree with me, but that's how I see it. It's my opinion, and I think the whole "nice" fan thing is WAY overrated and borderline bad. Again, just my opinion.

 

I agree with a lot of what you are saying. We can be nice, but also make it hard for teams to want to play in NE. I just want to believe that we can become great again.

[Blackshirt_Revival]

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

I"m not talking about having a few good years. Utah has never been a consistent top ten team. Boston College had their day too..but they've disappeared. I"m talking about being the "Nebraska" of old...perennial powerhouse, always top ten...

 

Utah has consistently been a better team than Nebraska for the last 15 years.

 

They have also had 2 undefeated seasons during that span.

[Dansker]

 

 

 

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

I"m not talking about having a few good years. Utah has never been a consistent top ten team. Boston College had their day too..but they've disappeared. I"m talking about being the "Nebraska" of old...perennial powerhouse, always top ten...

Utah has consistently been a better team than Nebraska for the last 15 years.

 

They have also had 2 undefeated seasons during that span.

I'm surprised Whittingham is still there. Maybe he is looking to lead a big time program like Urban Meyer when he jumped to Florida.

[Blackshirt_Revival]

 

 

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

I"m not talking about having a few good years. Utah has never been a consistent top ten team. Boston College had their day too..but they've disappeared. I"m talking about being the "Nebraska" of old...perennial powerhouse, always top ten...

Utah has consistently been a better team than Nebraska for the last 15 years.

 

They have also had 2 undefeated seasons during that span.

I'm surprised Whittingham is still there. Maybe he is looking to lead a big time program like Urban Meyer when he jumped to Florida.

 

[Scratchtown]

 

 

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

I"m not talking about having a few good years. Utah has never been a consistent top ten team. Boston College had their day too..but they've disappeared. I"m talking about being the "Nebraska" of old...perennial powerhouse, always top ten...

Utah has consistently been a better team than Nebraska for the last 15 years.

 

They have also had 2 undefeated seasons during that span.

I'm surprised Whittingham is still there. Maybe he is looking to lead a big time program like Urban Meyer when he jumped to Florida.

 

Well, it's not gunna be at Nebraska.

[Whistlebritches]

 

 

 

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

I"m not talking about having a few good years. Utah has never been a consistent top ten team. Boston College had their day too..but they've disappeared. I"m talking about being the "Nebraska" of old...perennial powerhouse, always top ten...

Utah has consistently been a better team than Nebraska for the last 15 years.

 

They have also had 2 undefeated seasons during that span.

I'm surprised Whittingham is still there. Maybe he is looking to lead a big time program like Urban Meyer when he jumped to Florida.

 

Well, it's not gunna be at Nebraska.

 

It pains me to say it but I think we're at best a lateral move compared to Utah.

[ticks]

Yes we can. See Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida State.

 

Or for better examples, how about Baylor, TCU, Stanford, and Kansas St. These programs all crawled out of holes far deeper than anything Nebraska has ever seen.

[Scratchtown]

 

 

 

 

 

If teams like Utah can play at a high level and win, then so can a team with the tradition like Nebraska. We have way more to offer then they do, and they are not a recruiting hotbed either.

I"m not talking about having a few good years. Utah has never been a consistent top ten team. Boston College had their day too..but they've disappeared. I"m talking about being the "Nebraska" of old...perennial powerhouse, always top ten...

Utah has consistently been a better team than Nebraska for the last 15 years.

 

They have also had 2 undefeated seasons during that span.

I'm surprised Whittingham is still there. Maybe he is looking to lead a big time program like Urban Meyer when he jumped to Florida.

 

Well, it's not gunna be at Nebraska.

 

It pains me to say it but I think we're at best a lateral move compared to Utah.

 

Utah isn't going to go away for a while. I don't know what it is about Utah but they have athletes everywhere, that play super hard.

 

I just have to believe that there a number of players on NU's roster that aren't playing/practicing as hard as they can be.

 

Even under Pelini, you look at teams in the top 25, most of them fly around on defense, and hit HARD. UCLA is my best example. Even the years they have lost 5 games the defense would hit you and hit you freaking hard. NU's teams have not. Not compared to what I have watched the past 8 years around the country.

 

That's all I want to see. I want to see a defense that will finally hit and wrap, and hit with authority.

[gorp512]

It's all about the money. They need to pour every possible dime into the program then find a way to get more dimes. I also fully understand they pretty much already do that, but if Nike can get players to Eugene, you can get them to Lincoln with the same sort of plan.

 

Make your program a feeder program to the NFL.

[lilred]

I think we are done. A couple flashes here and there as the fans who were alive to see Nebraska's success slowly die.

 

I imagine the end.

[dspanther05]

No, Nebraska is officially Iowa.

[lockdowndee]

yes. starting next year. this man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTZw7vSYC6M will lead the way. at 4:20 when asked about being a head coach: sidestep and slight smile. he's ready for the opportunity. replace the m with an N.

[Count 'Bility]

Yes. Simply yes.

 

No explanation of circumstances yesterday. Its yes. Cuz if baylor can. And tcu can. And Kansas st can. And Utah. Then why the hell cant Nebraska?

[Nebhawk]

Tough to explain. Recruiting died when left Big 12. Lost the state of Texas. Lost what was maybe the best recruiting base in the world for football players.

 

Everyone made fun of Texas last week, but what did they do today! They beat OU who was top 10. Those players haven't given up yet, and they fought until the end of the game. They didn't give up when up against the wall. There was no entitlement for Texas today, they fought to win the game.

 

When you here that Nebraska has as much talent as anyone in the West Div, what does that really mean to you? That means that all those schools have average talent, but no depth. Decent coaching and average talent. Formula for average football.

[Blackshirt_Revival]

I've said it before, I'll say it again, and I will keep saying it until I am red in the face:

 

Nebraska needs to stop worrying about 'out-recruiting' other schools who really don't need to work as hard at it as we would.

 

It is a fool's game (for us). It is a game Nebraska will never win and shouldn't worry about winning.

 

We need to dump this silly generic copycat impersonation shtick, and as fast as possible.

 

I am not saying we shouldn't recruit at all, we need to recruit, but not in the same way most everyone else does.

 

We should be recruiting to supplement and augment the talent available to us, what we HAVE.

 

Nebraska has ignored what IT HAS for far, far too long.

 

We should be deriving our identity as a team from what we have available to us, and add the pieces we need to be whole from there.

 

The University should be doing everything in its power with all that money they make from us fans to try to foster, re-ignite, and encourage the competition of our local football teams and improve the quality of our local talent. Clinics, camps, setting expectations, offering conditioning guidelines and scheme plans, you name it. Whatever it takes.

 

Look at all of the 7-on-7 leagues and intensive off-season programs and resources/activities Texas has for football. Being a football player is like a full-time deal. Do you see anything at all even remotely on this level occuring in Nebraska or the surrounding area?

 

As another example, I'm a huge advocate for trying to implement rugby at a greater degree at the high school level in the state of Nebraska. Don't you think that would toughen the hell out of some kids and get them accustomed to playing the kind of physical football we all love and expect to see (and miss dearly)?

 

Find a way to improve your local talent and encourage competitiveness! Investing some of that big money the program makes back into the local area in this manner would pay dividends.

 

Practically every high school in the state played a brand of football similar to what NU did during its glory years (not all with the same success, obviously, but with similar styles of play, unless the team had a QB who could really sling it). This functioned as a veritable 'farm system' for the Huskers during its best years.

 

Start with what you HAVE, start with your foundation, then look at what you NEED to supplement that to get what we all WANT (wins, championships).

 

This was our identity and what made us unique. This is what made Nebraska NEBRASKA.

 

You want to know why so many of these kids on the team today probably seem so erratic and anxious and on-edge? Besides the high expectations?

 

Because they have no place of refuge. They have no sanctuary besides each other. They are strangers in a strange land far from home where the expectations are super high and when they don't meet those expectations, it makes them feel commodified and dehumanized. They have nowhere else to turn. Although they are getting a lot from the university, a free education, a chance to wear the 'N' on the helmet (things most of us would have killed for), let's face it, it's not the same thing to most of them as it was to us, and this can lead to them understandably feeling used on some levels.

 

Having a team made up of largely local guys offers a built-in sanctuary as well as a litmus for what the expectations at Nebraska are. They know what the expectations are. They are used to the expectations here and how are fanbase is. They would be friends and family with them, and fans themselves for crying out loud! They could function as buffer between the fanbase and the out of area kids and make those kids from far away feel more at home. They can help them understand and appreciate what the red 'N' is all about and help them to become as passionate about it as they are. This is builds more camaraderie, unity, vision, and purpose, and most of all, an identity!

 

This is of all things is what has been sorely lacking with Nebraska for the past 10 years plus.

 

Until we get staff and administration in place that understands and appreciates this (in addition to the big money people), and can cultivate it and appropriately translate it all onto the field, I don't see Nebraska ever being truly great again for any sustained amount of time. I think that is the way it needs to be done here, they 'key to success' at Nebraska, if you will. It all starts with what you have.